Process for producing hydrogen-containing water for drinking

Abstract

There is provided a process for producing hydrogen-containing water for drinking, by which the dissolved hydrogen concentration of the obtained hydrogen water can be more efficiently increased. A process for continuously producing hydrogen-containing water for drinking, comprising (a) a purifying step of filtering and purifying water as a raw material; (b) a degassing step of degassing the purified water supplied to a degasser; (c) a hydrogen-dissolving step of dissolving hydrogen gas in the degassed water supplied to a hydrogen dissolution device; (d) a sterilizing step of sterilizing the hydrogen-dissolved water supplied to a sterilizer; (e) a filling step of filling the hydrogen-containing water supplied to a filling device in a sealed container and transferring the filled water product to a heat sterilizer; and (f) a heat-sterilizing step of heat-sterilizing the water product supplied to the heat sterilizer, wherein part of the hydrogen-containing water obtained in the step (d) is returned to the degasser in the step (b) and the water is circulated through the steps (b) to (d).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001]The present invention relates to a process for producing hydrogen-containing water for drinking.BACKGROUND ART [0002]In recent years, hydrogen-dissolved water (also simply called hydrogen water) that dissolves hydrogen gas in (ultra) pure water has been used for washing semiconductor silicon substrates, liquid crystal glass substrates, and the like, and is considered to have a suppressive effect on metal oxidation and spoilage of foods due to its high reductivity. Furthermore, an application of hydrogen-dissolved water to drinking water has been drawing attention because such water may improve various health disorders.[0003]Examples of a process for producing the hydrogen-dissolved water include a process of dissolving, in raw water, hydrogen gas from a gas cylinder or hydrogen gas generated by water electrolysis.[0004]However, when hydrogen gas is simply supplied into raw water at room temperature under atmospheric pressure, the dissolved hydrogen concentratio...

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Benefits of technology

[0008]The inventors of the present invention have carried out an intensive study in order to solve the problems above, and as a result, the inventors have found that, by repeatedly carrying out a step of first degassing remaining gas from water as a raw material, and a subsequent step of introducing the obtained degassed water and pressurized hydrogen gas into a gas permeable membrane module to dissolve the hydrogen gas into the degassed water in a closed system, the dissolved hydrogen concentration of the obtained hydrogen water can be more efficiently increased. The present invention has been thereby accomplished.

[0014]In the process for producing hydrogen-containing water for drinking according to the present invention, by sequentially carrying out each treatment of purifying, degassing, hydrogen-dissolving, and sterilizing in a closed system, especially by dissolving hydrogen gas using the gas permeable membrane module that supplies pressurized hydrogen gas, and particularly by repeating the treatments of degassing, hydrogen-dissolving, and sterilizing through water circulation, hydrogen-containing water efficiently dissolving hydrogen gas at high concentration can be produced.

[0016]In the process for producing hydrogen-containing water for drinking according to the present invention, the microfiltration membrane (MF membrane) is employed as the membrane filtration device used in the purifying step and the sterilizing step. The membrane can completely remove common bacteria such as coliform organisms, pathogenic protozoa Cryptosporidium, and the like that can proliferate in raw water as well as can leave all mineral components dissolved in raw water, such as sodium ions and potassium ions that improve the taste of hydrogen water for drinking. Therefore, safe and tasty hydrogen-containing water can be produced.

Problems solved by technology

However, when hydrogen gas is simply supplied into raw water at room temperature under atmospheric pressure, the dissolved hydrogen concentration is far below from the saturated hydrogen concentration because nitrogen gas, oxygen gas, and the like dissolved in the raw water interfere with the dissolution of the hydrogen gas.

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